Love is Found in the Most Mysterious Places
by Candycane and Bubblegum
Summary: Bella is adopted by the Cullens. Her mother had abandoned her.Years after her adoption, the Cullens realize her abandonment was because of threats made by the Volturi. What do they want with Bella?... Edward and Bella will fall for each other... right?
1. The Lost and Found

_**DISCLAIMER**_**: I do NOT own **_**Twilight**_**. The lovely Stephenie Meyer does.**

**FULL SUMMARY**** (!): One day while going back home from his meadow, Edward finds a young girl named Bella. Her mother had abandoned her. Unfortunately, he could not trace the mother's scent because it was raining. He decides to take her home to meet his family. The Cullens adopt her. Years later after the adoption, the Cullens realize that her abandonment was because of threats made by the Volturi. But what do they want with Bella? Also, will Edward fall for this young, human woman? Will she fall for the vampire in return?**

Love is Found in the Most Mysterious Places

Chapter 1: The Lost and Found

EPOV (Edward's point of view):

I decided to leave because it had started raining. While running through the woods on my way back from my meadow, I heard a small cry. A child's cry. Under normal circumstances, I would have continued to go home to my family. But something was different. I had no idea as to what it could possibly be, but something pulled me towards the sound. It was as though I absolutely _needed_ to find what made that terribly unhappy noise.

I changed direction from my original course and went east, instead of continuing to go west. I heard the noise again, only this time the child made a coherent sentence.

"Mommy, where are you?" The young child cried. It sounded like the voice of a young girl.

I tried to tune into what I assumed was a little girl's mind, but I couldn't _hear_ her. Was I too far away from her? I tried again after running about another few hundred yards, only to have the same result. Why? Why couldn't I read the child's mind? This dilemma only pushed my curiosity further. I decided to debate with myself later because I was only about forty feet away from her.

Walking at a normal, "human" pace, I went towards the child. She was huddled in front of a large oak tree. Her eyes were somewhat bloodshot from weeping and tears streamed down her heart-shaped face. The poor darling didn't have a jacket on, and it was only about forty five degrees Fahrenheit. She looked up and saw me. At first she looked frightened, but I put my hands up as quickly as the average human male would, wanting her to know that I wouldn't harm her. I slowly continued to walk until I was about ten feet from her. I smiled in a friendly manner to try to let her know that she would be safe around me. I inhaled through my nose before speaking to her, and I could feel the venom slowly start to pool into my mouth. I swallowed in disgust at myself. I had just hunted two days ago. She smelled wonderful, but the scent wasn't overpowering. The scent was like flowers and fruits. Freesias and strawberries, perhaps?

"Hello," I said quietly in my most non-scary voice. Then again, who would _ever_ want to frighten this lovely, beautiful child? Well, I certainly wouldn't want to. "My name is Edward Cullen. What is your name?"

She looked up at me from under her wet lashes. She sniffed and then paused, seeming unsure if she should answer me or not. I waited patiently for a response from the girl. Her mouth opened and closed, seeming to be unsure still. I guessed that her parents had told her to not speak with strangers. She finally answered me after about a minute or so. "Isabella Swan. But I like Bella better." Her little soprano voice was utterly _adorable_. It sounded like bells. Her name most definitely suited her.

"Do you know where your mother is? What about your father?" Her parents couldn't possibly have lost her? Could they?

"I don't know where Mommy is, but I think Daddy's at home." She said, her face scrunching up in concentration. She looked down and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt. Was that really sanitary? She could get pink eye or something possibly worse from doing that. She looked so human, so _fragile_. I shook my head, trying to focus on trying to find a solution for her. It didn't really occur to me that I could just continue running home and forget the little girl that sat huddled in front of an oak tree in the forest, all alone. I felt like I was obligated to help her for some reason, or that I physically _couldn't_ leave her here unprotected.

"Well, do you remember the last time you saw either of them?" I wondered.

She nodded vigorously. "Me and mommy went hiking. She put me here after the rain started up," she patted the tree with her little hand twice, "and said to wait for somebody to find me. But Momma never came back…" Bella trailed off, her voice breaking at the end. She continued sobbing silently.

It sounded as though she had been abandoned by her mother. At first, I thought of returning the girl to her mother. But unfortunately, I couldn't smell her mother's scent because of the rain. Even if I did find some way to return her to the mother she might be taken to an adoption center or be abandoned _again_. After thinking for a few more moments, an idea hit me. It probably wasn't the best solution for her, but it was the best I could think of.

"Bella, would you like to come home with me to meet my family? I promise we will not hurt you. We will take care of you for the time being, if you like." She arched a brow delicately.

"Cross your heart?" She asked skeptically.

"About what?" I asked.

"You won't hurt me?" She suddenly looked very vulnerable, and I hastened to get her home. She was shivering now because it was so cold from the weather. Why hadn't I remembered and offered her my jacket that I _didn't_ need?

"No, I won't hurt you. Cross my heart." And I'm already dead. Technically. "Will you come home with me to meet my family?" I asked again. She replied with a timid nod.

I quickly shrugged out of my jacket. The poor little dear would probably be sick tomorrow or perhaps the day after that. I put it around her tiny shoulders. She inhaled deeply and I chuckled quietly. After wrapping her up in the jacket like a cocoon, I scooped her up and gathered her in my arms. I was about to start running when I stopped moving suddenly. I did not wish her to tell anyone how fast I could run in the future when she was at the adoption agency or back with her parents.

"Will you close your eyes for me, Bella?" I asked. She nodded as she closed her tiny eye lids. I ran as fast as I could while still trying to keep her warm. The wind probably wouldn't help her from getting sick. Carlisle would most likely get her some medicine, though. Dimetapp or Airborne could help if she did get sick. Or we could give her some before she went to sleep tonight… that is if she was still in our care… I slowed my pace as I neared the house. My mind vaguely traveled back in time to remember when Emmett was so excited about watching wrestling on a television with colors for the first time that he had tackled down the wall... and my piano. I winced even after all this time. I ran the hand that wasn't holding Bella through my hair in frustration; that had been the best piano that I had ever owned! I quickly grabbed my key in my pants pocket and unlocked the door. Not that we needed that kind of security, it was all for show – we were a houseful of vampires, after all. After opening the door, I peeked inside. I noted to myself that Aro was _finally_ gone as Alice came rushing down the stairs squealing, "I HAVE A NEW SISTER TO SHOP FOR!"

"Alice," I replied icily, "You know that she is only staying here _temporarily_ until we can find the mother or otherwise an adoption agency." I only half meant what I was saying even though my voice sounded absolutely sure of my decision. I felt some strange pull toward the child. It almost seemed like she belonged to be with us.

"Oh no," She smirked, and put her arms around Bella possessively and then tugged her from my grasp. I wondered if she saw right through me, if she knew I wanted Bella to stay with us too. She pecked the girl's forehead softly after moving the hood of the jacket out of the way of her cold lips. "You know Rosalie has always wanted a child, and I'm certain Esme would be more than willing to adopt another child for our family."

"CHILD?" I heard Rosalie screech from upstairs. She sprinted down the stairs, her blonde curls bounced around her face all the way down, and stopped beside Alice to look at Bella. Carefully, as though she thought little Bella would break, she took her from Alice's hold. She eagerly, but slowly stroked Bella's long, brown hair, while giving her a loving look. "Hello dear. My name is Rosalie. Would you like to stay with us?" Rosalie's thoughts were anxious as she awaited Bella's answer, but she hid it well. She looked perfectly at ease.

_Hasn't the girl been abandoned by her mother? I wasn't really paying attention until Alice said 'child'._ Rosalie asked me with her thoughts. I nodded my head slightly. Her expression darkened, but then went back to normal after a split second.

"What about my momma?" Bella asked sadly. A single tear fell down her little cheek. Rosalie kissed it away sweetly.

"Yes, what if the mother changes her mind and can't find Bella?" I addressed Alice because Rosalie would just say that we should keep her anyway. After what had happened to her with Royce, she seemed to not care about humans at all. But she always had quite a soft spot for children, especially younger children.

"She won't look for Bella. Trust me, Edward." Alice answered me too quietly for Bella to hear as she looked from Rosalie, to Bella, and then back to me. Alice looked over to Rosalie. Then, in her usual, perky voice, she exclaimed, "It's settled then. I'll go shopping. Edward, do you mind if I put her bed in your room for now?" Alice turned back to me again. I shook my head. Of course I didn't mind. Alice went to the closet and donned her coat. Just as she went to leave, we heard Esme walking calmly down the staircase.

"What's settled, my dears?" She asked. Then her eyes slid down to look at Rosalie holding little Bella.

"Oh my… Carlisle!" Esme exclaimed as a small smile slowly started to take form on her lips. Her hand went over her frozen heart as though to calm it unnecessarily.

Carlisle walked over from the kitchen in order to stand beside his wife. "Yes Esme?" he asked curiously. Esme ran over to Rosalie, and lightly put her hand on Bella's shoulder. "Could we have another daughter, Carlisle? Oh, wait. Who found her? What had happened to her?" Now Esme looked very confused.

I shrugged my shoulders slightly. "I found her when I was coming home from my meadow in the woods. I heard her crying, so I changed directions and went to her. Then, when I found her, she basically told me that her mother abandoned her."

"Well, if the mother doesn't want her, then _I_ do." Esme said, almost fiercely. She lightly grabbed Bella from Rosalie. I heard Carlisle silently start to head back to his study – whatever decision Esme made was the decision he would agree with.

"Don't you think we should call her mother and see if she wants her child back? Perhaps she changed her mind…" I trailed off suggestively. Alice shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"No, I already told you, she won't. Besides, I've already had a vision of that. Edward calls a woman named Renee Swan, and she tells him to adopt her or put Bella in the local adoption agency." Alice said all of this too quietly for Bella to hear. Esme gasped in surprise; she thought that any mother would want her own child back.

"I still say that we should call to give Renee another chance." I insisted.

"Fine. But I'm going to say that I told you so." Alice replied smugly.

"I'm sure you will, Alice. I'm sure you will." Never bet against Alice, unless you want to lose.

Alice turned and skipped toward the window. She whipped out her cell phone and called Jasper. She wanted to warn him and Emmett about Bella being in the house. She called and explained what had happened to Bella, and then told Jasper to hunt more since they were already hunting, just in case. Then, Rosalie snatched the phone from Alice's grasp when Alice started repeating for the fiftieth time how much she loved Jasper. Rosalie slammed the phone shut, though softly enough to not break it.

"What did you do that for?" Alice demanded.

"We all know that you love your _Jazzy_. I mean, we all_ hear _about it every night." Alice arched a brow, thinking about how Bella was in the same room when Rose said that. She shrugged and grabbed her phone and stuffed it into her pocket swiftly. As the two continued to argue, I shook my head in wonder. One minute, women were friends. The next, they were at each other's throats. And in this family, that saying could be taken very seriously.

"You want to go, midget?" I heard Rosalie ask haughtily. I tuned into her mind. She was thinking about how Alice had borrowed her favorite pair of silver stilettos last week and had never given them back. I had wondered if Alice had borrowed them because Emmett had stopped calling her 'shortie' and instead started calling her 'homey sis'. His newest mania was to call everyone either 'homey bro' or 'homey sis'. Hopefully, he would stop this within a few weeks, but sadly it had been a week and a half since the madness had started.

Alice's expression changed as I watched from Rosalie's point of view. "Where are we going to go? Shopping?" Then she gasped and her eyes widened. "I never left to buy a bed for Bella!"

Rosalie suddenly forgot all violent thoughts. "Oh no! We've got to get going!"

Alice ran back to the closet hastily as she put her coat on that she had forgotten was resting in her arms. She grabbed Rosalie's coat and rushed back to her. Alice helped Rosalie put her coat on, and the two started to run to the door.

"Wait! I want to go too – I've been thinking about redecorating the dining room, anyway, but we'll just redecorate Edward and Bella's room. Edward, you don't mind sharing a room with Bella do you? I know Alice already asked you this, but I just wanted to make sure, dear. We could always add another room to the house eventually." Esme looked at me with a very motherly expression.

I was still a little dazed from the entire scene from Rosalie and Alice when I answered Esme. "No, of course I wouldn't mind sharing a room with Bella, Esme. I'll even help you redecorate." I truthfully answered. I wanted Bella to have a nice room, even if that meant painting the walls pink or some other feminine color. "Actually, it's probably best that you aren't thinking of adding another room yet. I still need to call Renee. I just got a bit distracted from something." I looked pointedly at Alice and Rosalie. Esme smiled a little and shook her head and the two.

"Were you two arguing again?" Esme asked with a bemused expression. Then, she looked more serious as she said, "It's not healthy for a family to fracas so much."

"Sorry, Mom." They both said. Then Alice looked at me, slightly irked. "And I already told you, what? Three times now? Renee doesn't want Bella back in her care." She had lowered her voice when she said this so that Bella, who was still in the same room, didn't hear her say this, but then it went back to normal. "Honestly Edward, don't you think my visions are accurate? I know, I know. You're still thinking about the time that Emmett and I took you to that _Latest and Greatest Inventions Convention_ last year and that college girl kept following you around. Alright! I admit it! I knew she was going to do that, but Emmett promised me that he wouldn't call me 'shortie' for a whole week if I didn't say anything to you about it!"

My jaw dropped. "You _knew_ about that?"

Alice sheepishly smiled at me. "Yeah. But Emmett said-"

"Alice," I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to control my temper. "Did you know that I had to not only change my phone number, but my e-mail address as well?" It was still a mystery to me. How did that woman find out that kind of personal information? I had guessed she had looked me up on the internet, but now I had to wonder. Did Emmett give her that stuff? It seemed like something he would do. I made a mental note to myself to get back at him. Soon.

Alice looked sad. "I'm sorry, Edward." I frowned, still angry at my favorite sister.

"Alright, but you have to help me get back at Emmett for me." I finally said.

"Yay! Thanks, Edward!" She ran over and hugged me. I wasn't a very physical kind of person, so I automatically stiffened.

"Oh. Sorry." She apologized again. "But you'll like hugs in a few years!" She winked at me and started waltzing to the door.

"Alice, what do you mean? Alice?" I asked worriedly.

"Edward?" A little soprano voice asked. My expression immediately softened as I looked at Bella. From the back of my mind, I realized Esme looked a little confused at this. She looked over to Rosalie. Rosalie shrugged, not taking her eyes away from Bella.

"Yes?" I asked her. She frowned; her expression was so adorable.

"You never forgave Alice." She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me.

"What? Oh! Alice, I forgive you."

"Thank you, Edward." Alice beamed.

"Can I come and pick out the bed too?" Bella asked shyly. She dried some more of her tears and sniffed again.

"Of course you can, Bella. Why didn't we think of that in the first place?" Esme asked herself. She scooped Bella up in her arms and ran over to open the door. "Let's go!" And with that, I was the only one in the house. But then, I saw through Alice's mind that Bella would need to use the bathroom before they left. In other words, by the time I had hung up from talking with Renee Swan on the phone, Bella and Alice would be opening the door. I hoped the vision Alice had had was, for once, inaccurate. I walked over to the coffee table and grabbed the phone book. I sat down on the nearby couch and grabbed my cell phone as I flipped through the pages. Finding the only phone number with the name Swan in the phone book, I dialed it. After about three rings, someone picked up the phone.

"Hello! Swan residence!" A young woman practically sang into the receiver. It seemed like the cheery voice was forced, but I ignored that. It probably wasn't important. She and her husband were most likely in the middle of arguing about something unimportant. At any rate, that was what most married couples fought about – unimportant things.

"Renee Swan?" I inquired. I knew I dialed the right number, but it was customary to ask who someone was when the phone was answered. That is, it was customary when the telephone was first invented. I assumed humans still went by this tradition.

"Why, yes. Yes, it is." She answered, wary now. I guessed she thought that this conversation was going to be about something serious. Unfortunately because of the fact that we were talking on a phone, I couldn't read her mind. That always made conversation a bit more difficult for me, because I had to ask people the questions I would normally ask, but then I would have to wonder whether they told the truth or not.

"Good afternoon. My name is Edward Cullen. Earlier today, I was hiking through the woods. While walking, I found a young girl by the name of Isabella Swan. I believe she is your daughter. What time do you wish for me to take her back to your home?" I did not want to give this _Renee_ an option as to whether or not she should keep her own daughter. I also half wanted to get rid of the strange "pull" I felt toward Bella. It just wasn't healthy.

"Oh, Mr. Cullen, I'm so sorry. You see, my husband and I don't want the thing." _THING?_ I thought. "Would you like to adopt her? If you don't, just go ahead and put her in the adoption agency."

"I see. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Swan." I said, venom pooling into my mouth from anger. I could barely control my actions when I, as softly as I could, hung up the phone. I was angry because Renee did not want to keep the most beautiful little girl in the entire world. Just then, Alice and Bella walked into the room. Bella held her hand and looked up at Alice as she grinned.

"I told you so!" Alice said, right on cue, as usual.

"Darn pixie." I muttered. They left the house as soon as Bella was finished, leaving me all alone again. In some ways, I liked the peaceful silence. But other times, it was a comfort to know that there were people you knew and trusted nearby. I just didn't like to hear their... sometimes indecent thoughts about each other. I shuddered.

**Thanks for reading the first chapter of this story! :) I'm going to update as soon as I can. I'm in the middle of chapter… I think three. But I need to finish editing chapter two.**

**~Candycane**


	2. Moving In

_**DISCLAIMER**_**: I do NOT own **_**Twilight**_**. The lovely Stephenie Meyer does.**

Love is Found in the Most Mysterious Places

Chapter 2: Moving In

"_I told you so!" Alice said, right on cue, as usual._

_"Darn pixie." I muttered. They left the house as soon as Bella was finished, leaving me all alone again. In some ways, I liked the peaceful silence. But other times, it was a comfort to know that there were people you knew and trusted nearby. I just didn't like to hear their... sometimes indecent thoughts about each other. I shuddered._

After about an hour and a half of watching random sitcoms on day time television, Emmett bounded through the door. Jasper followed him shortly after.

"Hey there, homey bro!" Emmett exclaimed in a booming voice. He jogged over and sat down next to me, grabbing the remote in the process.

"Why have you been calling everyone 'homey bro' for the past week and a half?" I asked in a half curious, half annoyed tone. I never heard him think the answer in his head, so I had finally decided to ask.

"Well," Emmett started, frowning, "You're my brother and you're here – at home!" He smiled victoriously at his cunning response.

I suddenly felt just as happy as Emmett did for absolutely no reason. "Wow! I never thought of that!" Then I, which was utterly unlike me, ran up to him and gave him a high five. A few seconds later, I realized what had just happened. "Jasper." I growled, rounding on him.

He shot me a lazy smile. "Oh, lighten up. I'm guessing that I have to call J. Jenks to adopt Bella? I can have it done within about two weeks."

At the mention of little Bella, my mood changed without the use of Jasper's unusual powers. He noticed and arched a brow. I shook my head slightly. I didn't understand it either. I did think that it had something to do with the pull that I felt towards the girl, though. But I didn't say my suspicions aloud to either of them. "Yes, you probably should call Jenks. The sooner the better." When Jasper moved his eyebrow even higher on his forehead, I quickly explained, "For Alice's sake. She'll love having a new sister in the family as soon a possible." This wasn't the _exact_ reason, but it was part of it.

When I said Alice, his eyes brightened. I never doubted how much he thought he loved my sister. "Of course. In fact, I think I'll call him right away… that is, right away when Alice gets back." He would do _anything_ for Alice. They were both lucky to have found each other. No wonder Alice was so grateful to see visions of what was to come, no matter if it was good or bad.

A thought suddenly came into my head. I turned around from Jasper who was currently sitting on the love seat. "Emmett?"

Emmett looked up from the wrestling game. What about that sitcom I had been watching? I almost wanted to know what Reggie and Becker talked about during that episode. It was getting kind of good. "Yeah?"

"Have you called Rosalie 'homey bro' yet?" I wondered aloud. He burst out into a fit of wild laughter. I confirmed that as a 'no'.

"One more thing. Did you give that college girl my e-mail and cell phone number at that _Latest and Greatest Inventions Convention_?" I asked skeptically.

"Why no, Edward. Wherever would you get an idea like that?" Emmett replied sweetly. Then I looked into his mind. He was remembering giving the eager girl my personal information. I couldn't believe it. Well, I could believe it, it was just something Emmett would do, but I was still surprised.

"Emmett." I said dangerously. A growl started to build, low and deep in my chest.

"Edward." Emmett said in a taunting voice. He growled playfully in response.

_Fight, fight, fight, fight!_ He chanted in his mind. He got up from the couch and flicked the remote at Jasper. Jasper caught it without looking away from either of us. I straightened my back immediately and stopped my childish growling. Emmett always did things so that they would be the catalyst of a fight.

"No." I said, my voice more controlled than before. I wouldn't do that. The last time Emmett and I had fought, we had broken Esme's favorite arm chair that was about a hundred years old. She didn't even scold us, which made the both of us feel even guiltier than we normally would have. That had happened about a month ago. I didn't want it to happen again anytime soon.

"Ooh!" He chanted at me. "You gonna' back down so easy, little _homey bro_?"

"I just don't want the furniture to get broken again." I said quietly while sinking back into the couch. I folded my arms across my chest to let him know that I wouldn't change my mind about this. Suddenly, I felt a wave of calmness crash into me. I relaxed into the couch even more. Then, Emmett shrugged his shoulders and sat back down on the couch next to me. He gestured with his outstretched palm for Jasper to give him back the remote.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, I heard the crinkling of gravel nearby. I guessed that Esme, Rosalie, Alice, and Bella were back from shopping. Usually, a shopping trip took at least five to six hours. Why hadn't they stayed longer?

A few minutes later, Alice came bouncing into the room. "We found the perfect bed for her! It's wonderful!" She exclaimed. She ran over to Jasper and wrapped her arms around him. They shared a chaste kiss and then Alice skipped to the car again, leaving the front door open.

"Where _is_ the little tyke, anyway?" Emmett asked eagerly. In many ways, Emmett was like a child himself, so I assumed the two would have lots of fun together in the upcoming years.

"What little tyke?" A bell-like soprano voice countered. Bella walked up the stairs to the front door carefully at Alice's side. Rosalie followed behind the two. She was so tiny, even in comparison to Alice. She tripped on the last step. Luckily, Rosalie ran behind Bella and caught her before she could fall.

"Aww. She's cute." Emmett cooed.

"What about me?" Rosalie asked teasingly. She picked Bella up and rested her against her hip.

"Babe, you're… like a runway model." Emmett said with adoring eyes.

"Wow… Thanks honey." Rosalie flashed him one of the best smiles that she could muster. Emmett blinked a few times.

"I know we usually shop longer, but -" Alice started to announce.

"I'll say." Emmett muttered, cutting Alice off from finishing what she was going to say.

Alice huffed, but otherwise ignored him. "I know we usually shop longer, but I don't think it would be good for Bella at this age. She could get too tired or catch something." I thought back to how we should give her some Dimetapp before she went to sleep tonight. She had been sitting under that huge oak tree without a jacket while it rained heavily. "At any rate, the workman will be coming in to put the bed in Bella's… and Edward's room within a few minutes. Esme's just telling them where she wants it."

"Alice?" Jasper asked from the love seat. He leaned forward in his chair, angling himself towards his wife. Alice looked at him with loving eyes.

"Yes, Jasper?" Alice said softly.

He cleared his throat out of an old human habbit. "Um, should I call J. Jenks? Bella needs to be adopted. I could have it done within about two weeks. He always finishes my papers quickly." An evil grin spread across his features for a split second, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

Alice clapped her hands together in swift motions because she was so happy. Jasper started to smile because he liked how his wife was almost always perky and peppy. "Oh, won't this be fun?" She asked no one in particular. "I'm finally going to have a sister that's smaller than me!" She giggled. Then, she started to jog toward the door. "I'll help Esme redecorate. You go ahead and call J. Jenks. Edward, come on, you said that you would help us, remember?" And with that, she left the room. As I followed, I noticed that Jasper grinned as he dialed the family lawyer's office phone number.

When I walked outside, I noticed two burly men lifting and starting to carry a pale white mattress. I stepped out of the way as they neared the door. After they finished moving all the items that everyone had bought, the men left with their moving van.

Just then, Carlisle opened the door from across the hall. "I trust that you found a suitable bed for the little one?" He asked. He looked around. "Where is she, anyway?" A giggle came from Emmett and Rosalie's room.

Rosalie smiled brightly and said in a playful tone, "I wonder where Bella is." There was more laughter that came from the nearby bedroom, but this time it was stifled. "Bella! Oh Bella! Where are you?" Rosalie sang. She looked like she was thoroughly enjoying the child's company.

"Right here!" A little voice called.

"Where's here?" Esme asked in her usual motherly tone. I looked over to her, and she was smiling.

_It's so nice to have another child in the house. I wonder what Edward thinks of the girl's mind?_ Esme wondered to herself.

"I can't read her mind." Alice, Rosalie, and Esme all gasped. I shrugged. I didn't understand it, but that didn't mean I couldn't accept it.

"Well," Alice said in a strange voice, "this certainly makes things different. Doesn't it, Edward?" She looked at me oddly too.

"How so?" I asked.

"Well, if you can't read her mind, which would probably make her more interesting to you…" She shrugged and picked up a paint bucket and carried it to the wall. She threw a paint brush at me.

"I suppose she would be a bit more interesting to me." I mused as Rosalie "found" Bella. She shrieked and then started to childishly giggle as Rosalie scooped her up and cradled her in her cold arms.

"Bella?" Esme said.

"Yeah?" Bella looked up at Esme.

"Do you want to watch Scooby Doo or something? We'll have the decorating done sooner if you relax, or even take a nap." Esme thought of how we could use our speed to our advantage.

"Sure. Anyone want to watch SpongeBob SquarePants with me?" Bella looked around the room hopefully.

"I'm sure Emmett will." Rosalie muttered as she rolled her eyes. "Come on, sweetie, I'll get you all set up at the T.V., then I'll help decorate." She started strolling calmly down the staircase as she talked with Bella. "How's popcorn sound?" She asked. From her mind, I saw Bella nod her head.

Two hours later, we were finished. My room, I mean _our_ room looked… different. I couldn't decide if I liked the change or not. The black leather sofa, the golden colored carpet, and my music collection was still where it used to be, but other than that it was a completely different room. In the middle of the room, there was a twin sized bed with floral patterned bed sheets. There were some pictures on the walls, as well as the new aqua colored paint. One picture was actually a _poster_ of Barbie that smiled eerily down at me. Another was just a drawing of a rose that Alice had quickly sketched. She said that it would look pretty and feminine. The last was a poster of a litter of puppies.

"Well, I think we're finished." Esme announced. Alice and Rose nodded their heads in agreement.

"What do you think of it, dear?" Esme addressed me.

"It's certainly… fit for a young child." I finally said. I still didn't know if I liked it or not.

"Whooh! Go! Come on! YOU CAN DO IT!" Emmett screeched from downstairs.

"Yeah! Go, go, go!" Bella added. I heard the hinges in the couch bouncing up and down repeatedly. I guessed that both of them were watching sports. I didn't bother to check Emmett's mind. It was usually almost blank when he was watching sports.

"Swipe him in the nose, man!" Ah, they were not only watching sports, they were watching Emmett's favorite sport. Wrestling.

Suddenly, Jasper ran into the room. "I called Jenks and he said he'll have the papers done in _precisely_ two weeks." He nodded in confirmation. "The phone call took longer than I thought it would have, though," He shook his head, "He seemed to be under the impression that I was stealing the police chief's daughter. But then, I explained how the parents did not want the child anymore. So, to make a long story short, he called the Swans and they told Jenks all of Bella's personal information. Like, how she's only six years old and whatnot." He shrugged. "At any rate… she'll be a Cullen soon." He smiled slightly.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Esme said almost to herself.

"Emmett, I'm hungry." Bella said from downstairs.

"She's so cute." Rosalie said with a look of adoration upon her face.

**I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but some things have come up. At any rate, I have more time on my hands now, so I am going to dedicate my mornings to this story! :)**

**Thanks for reading this chapter!**

**~Candycane**

**PS- I am thinking that the next chapter is going to be **_**very**_** interesting. ;) Unless it can't fit into this next chapter. Everything is getting so detailed!**


	3. First Night

_**DISCLAIMER**_**: I do NOT own **_**Twilight**_**. The lovely Stephenie Meyer does.**

Love is Found in the Most Mysterious Places

Chapter 3: First Night

After I gave Bella some Dimetapp and Esme tucked her in for the night, we had a family meeting. And surprisingly, I found myself participating. Usually, I just sat there at the table and stared at the wall, listening to my family's words and thoughts. But this time was different. I just didn't know why. Was it because this meeting was focused on a certain little innocent human child I was recently acquainted to?

"I still say we shouldn't tell her what we are. She could be threatened by the Volturi." I repeated _yet again_.

"Edward's right…" Alice agreed finally. "In a way. If we were to tell her today, she might tell a friend or someone she sees on the street. But if we _never_ tell her, we will lose her trust."

"What?" I scowled. "She should never have to know that there are vampires out in this world! She might scream and run from us, or never want to talk with us, or have nightmares for the rest of her life, or…" I trailed off. I couldn't think about this. It made me too sad. I closed my eyes and shook my head in grief.

"She will trust and accept us. As long as one of us tells her." Alice said firmly. "Edward, you really should learn to trust your own sister." She smiled.

"Yeah, bro. We're family." Emmet was serious for once.

"Alright." I sighed. "But if you're wrong, Alice… Well, I don't really know."

"But I do!" Alice laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Everyone smiled at that.

"All those in favor of telling Bella about vampires _eventually_, raise your hand," Carlisle commanded. He raised his hand along with Esme, followed by Alice, Jasper, and Emmett. I growled.

"Manners, Edward," Esme scolded softly.

"Sorry, Mom," I almost smiled. Esme's motherly nature was wonderful. It suited her well.

"All those in favor of _never_ telling her what we are, raise your hand," Carlisle said. He unconsciously lowered his arm slightly. Rosalie and I raised our hands dutifully.

"Well, our team still wins. We tell Bella what we are." Alice said happily. Then, she muttered quietly to herself, "When, though?"

"You haven't seen that?" Jasper asked curiously.

"No, it seems to me that _how_ we tell her depends on many other events in the future." Alice huffed, frustrated. Jasper patted her shoulder, trying to calm her. She relaxed almost immediately. Suddenly, Alice started reciting the Constitution from memory.

"Alice," I growled, my temper flaring. Esme didn't even bother to scold again. She knew it would be a wasted effort.

"Yes, brother dear?" Alice asked sweetly.

"What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing." She said quickly. She finished chanting the Constitution in her head, and switched to designing a cocktail dress for herself, then she decided to do that later, and she started thinking about possibly going to New York City with Jasper sometime for a shopping spree.

"Alice, tell me." I said forcefully. "What happened to trust?"

Alice laughed her tinkling laugh. "Trust me, you _don't_ want to know. If I tell you, it will ruin _everything_."

"Tell me," I repeated.

"No," she said stubbornly. Then she sighed. "I'll give you one hint. It's about… milkshakes." Emmett laughed.

"You're lying."

"Not exactly. You'll understand everything soon. You just need to wait… about ten years." Then she beamed at me. I frowned deeply.

"Fine." I muttered. I sat back down, not realizing that I had ever stood.

"Shall we send her to school or home school her?" Carlisle asked.

"Home school!" Everyone said at the same time, including myself. Carlisle looked shocked.

"You all usually fracas before agreeing on _anything_," he said softly, astounded. I chuckled at his expression while Emmett's booming laugh filled the room.

"Well, is that all?" Alice asked eagerly. She was wringing her hands nervously. Strange.

"Yes, that's all, but-" Carlisle started.

"Thanks! Come on, Jazzy! Let's hunt some more! You don't want to lose control in front of our new sister!" Alice interrupted Carlisle. Something was _undoubtedly_ strange.

And I was almost completely sure that Alice wouldn't tell me what was going on. No matter what.

APOV (Alice's point of view):

I sprinted out of the room as fast as I could. It was like I couldn't stop thinking about that vision. Well, it certainly was a shock. All three visions. The fourth was just funny.

I hated lying to my family. But this time, it was to protect the future. When I was about to race to tell everyone the wonderful news in my first vision of the day, I got another vision. In that vision, there was sadness, and the family felt as though it were incomplete. I noticed Bella was nowhere to be seen in that vision.

The third vision wasn't as shocking since I almost knew what to expect, but the details were jaw dropping for me. All the details.

I just _couldn't_ lie to Jasper. I also knew he would be able to help me. As long as we "played our cards right", we could help make this vision happen. But I couldn't help out too much. Even that would ruin everything.

"What was all that about?" Jazzy asked, confused.

I took a deep breath and started to tell him everything… even about how I could kind of tell when we would tell her… and even the clues that I had given to my family out of guilt.

EPOV:

I was officially tired of being confused and frustrated, and it hadn't even been ten minutes. Wonderful.

As silently as I could, I went to my room and started listening to some Tchaikovsky. I put the volume on the lowest level possible, not wanting to wake Bella. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. It was hard to be a mind reader and not know someone's thoughts because they were _intentionally_ "blocking" me. Bella couldn't help it. But Alice deliberately focused her thoughts on something else.

I wouldn't normally be so agitated, but it seemed important. And I didn't like being left alone in the dark. Then I almost laughed at myself from the irony. I was sitting alone in my room with all the lights off at four twenty seven in the morning.

"Mommy…" a little voice murmured softly. "Don't leave me…"

My eyes snapped open. Bella. I raced over to her. The door burst open just as I started to cradle her in my arms. Esme look surprised to see me taking control of the situation. I smiled slightly and shrugged. She cocked her head, shook her head slightly, but still smiled.

_You're getting attached to her already, aren't you?_ She asked me. I nodded.

_Hmm… This is unusual for you, but in a good way. I suppose certain people bring out the best in someone else. I'm glad you're attached to her, Edward._ And with that, she left me to care for Bella. She hadn't even been in the room for a second, so Bella didn't notice that Esme had been there.

I looked down to see a pair of beautiful brown doe shaped eyes staring at me. There were tears in her eyes, some of them already starting to flow slowly down her little heart shaped face. I felt the urge to tell her everything would be fine, but I didn't know that for sure.

"I had a nightmare." She stated simply, sniffling.

"I know. You woke me up." I smiled slightly, the smile not quite reaching my eyes. I didn't want to lie to her. Usually it was so easy for me to lie, too... "What happened in your nightmare? It might help to talk about it." I urged.

"Well… Mommy left me again." She sniffed loudly. As she started to rub her eyes, I quickly moved across the room and back, grabbing a tissue. I was about to offer it to her, but she wiped her nose on her sleeve. I grimaced. That habbit _really_ needed to stop. For my sanity's sake. She might spread germs, and I supposed that I was a bit sensitive about germs because I had "died" from them. I shuddered. She noticed.

"Are you cold?" She asked curiously. There was worry in her eyes.

This time, my smile came naturally. "No, not really. I don't feel cold." I tried to not emphasize "feel".

"Well, you feel cold to me." She muttered, not expecting me to hear her. I instantly became worried.

"Are you cold?" I asked her, concerned.

"No, but I'm tired." As if on cue, she yawned softly. I smiled gently.

"Stay here, Edward." She commanded, but it sounded like a question.

Just as her little lids started to close, I answered, "Of course, Bella. I'll stay." I tucked her in and sat at the edge of the bed, right next to her. She was asleep about five minutes later.

I started to think how horrible abandonment would be. Sure, my parents died when I was seventeen, but I wasn't as young, and I could hardly remember anything with the exception of Carlisle's perfect memories of the past. I had been so sick then, dying even…

There was a soft knock at the door. I quietly murmured, "Come in." My sister casually strolled into the room, but her shoulders were tense. I focused on her mind and she was still trying to hide things from me.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you what's going on…" She started slowly. "But if I do tell you, it will practically break the family apart. It needs to happen with almost no interference." I raised my eyebrows.

"Well, this certainly _is_ serious. And I'm guessing it has something to do with me." I said.

"You are absolutely right." She sighed. "I will tell you what would have happened, though, after everything has happened. I'm sorry if I'm confusing you," I shook my head while she paused, "Every vision that I had connected to the other. With the exception of one." She grinned evilly at me. I gulped.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.

"Remember how I said something about milkshakes during our meeting?" She asked slyly.

"Yes." I said cautiously, nodding.

"And you also, of course, remember how I said I would help you get back at Emmett for giving out your number and everything to that girl?" She brought her voice down to a whisper.

I grinned. "You really are my favorite sister, Alice, even though we argue so much."

**IMPORTANT!: Ok, for the people that had read my story before I decided to re-do it, I just wanted to say, YES, the plot has changed slightly to keep you guys interested and because I changed my mind. But almost everything from before will be used. Even the old second chappie has a place in this story. :D**

**Thanks for reading this chapter!**

**~Candycane**

**PS- Alice told me you'd review. ;)**


	4. Fitting In

_**DISCLAIMER**_**: I do NOT own **_**Twilight**_**. The lovely Stephenie Meyer does.**

Love is Found in the Most Mysterious Places

Chapter 4: Fitting In

Precisely two weeks after Bella moved in, she became the newest addition to the Cullen family…

"_We're home!" Alice chirped excitedly, dragging her husband into the room with her. He was carrying a bundle of papers in his arms._

"_Did J. Jenks give you all the necessary documents?" Carlisle asked, looking up from the worksheet he, Bella, and I were currently finishing._

"_Yes." Jasper answered, smiling down at Bella. For a moment, he didn't have any trouble resisting the temptations of her blood. He was ecstatic that Alice was so happy to have a new sister in the family._

"_So everything's final then?" I wondered aloud._

"_Yep! We have a new family member!" Alice yelled happily._

Everything had started to calm down. There was a new routine in the house; everyone's schedule had to change a bit to accommodate Bella. What had shocked me most was that even _Rosalie_ didn't seem to mind.

Every morning around nine thirty or so, one of us woke Bella up. Usually it was Esme, since she was the mother figure of the house. Then, there was breakfast, and after that, Carlisle or I tutored her. When she became too bored with that, we all went out to play with her.

For some reason, she enjoyed watching us exercise rather than participate. But usually Alice found some way to bribe her into joining us.

Today, like all days after playing outside, Bella took a nap.

"Hey, Edward! Quit moping around! You're supposed to be hunting with us!" Emmett called.

"Fine." I muttered, knowing he and Jasper would hear me. I didn't really like to be distracted from my thoughts, especially when Emmett was what was causing it. But, I guess I was also in such a crabby mood because I was hungry.

Near the end of the hunt, Jasper and I were full. While Emmett busied himself with mauling a bear, I sat on a rock, staring at nothing.

Out of nowhere, Jasper commented, "You know, you really seem attached to her." He seemed like he was trying to be very casual. His mind was completely focused on what he had just said.

"Well, she's a cute toddler. I guess I enjoy her company." I shrugged indifferently.

"She _is_ an adorable child, isn't she?" Jasper smiled slightly.

"I just wish I could read her mind. I try every day, hoping that I might get even a _glimpse_ of her thoughts, but I always get the same outcome." I huffed, frustrated.

"Sometimes, I think it's better that you can't read her thoughts."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean, when she finally learns about our kind and special talents, she might be embarrassed if she thought you had heard her every thought for the past oh so many years." He frowned lightly.

"I suppose," I replied, reluctantly agreeing. "But she would get used to it."

"And how do you know that, Edward?"

I thought about that for a moment. "I don't know." I said eventually. "But I do know that you and the rest of the family has gotten used to it."

"True. But she might be different."

"But I can't even read her mind, so why are we even discussing this?" I wondered.

His thoughts immediately focused on Alice as he quickly replied, "No reason. Just felt like talking about something with you."

I bit back a growl. Everyone was being so secretive with me. Even Esme acted strangely. "Jasper, what's going on? Why is everyone acting so weird?" I asked as calmly as I could.

Jasper's expression became innocent. "What do you mean, Edward? No ones been acting oddly around me."

"Please, tell me, Jasper, I-"

"Hey, homey's! Wow, that _is_ getting old, isn't it? Even I'm tired of saying it." Emmett chuckled gleefully as I growled in frustration. "Somethin' wrong there, Eddie?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "No, I'm fine Emmett, thank you _very_ much for your concern." There was no furniture around right now… No, don't do that. No fracasing. No fighting.

"Well, okay then, let's go home. Rosie said something about a surprise when I got back…" He trailed off, a devilish grin appearing on his face. We all ran in silence, with the exception of Emmett's occasional comments on last night with Rosalie. Apparently, it had been 'interesting'.

When we got home, I smiled. Bella was awake. Through Esme's mind, I saw Bella painting with her. I hurried into the dining room.

Bella looked up from her artwork the moment I stepped into the room. "Come here, Edward! Look at what I made!" She smiled cheerfully at me, ushering me towards her with her little hands.

"What'd you make?" I asked, already knowing. I couldn't help but smile as I noted how excited she seemed to show me this.

"A painting! Esme helped me. She gave me the idea of what to paint." She beamed at Esme.

Esme hugged her and then pulled away as she said, "Anything for the new addition to our family."

I observed the painting. I honestly had no clue what it was. "What is it?" I asked hesitantly, not wanting to be rude.

She glared at me and swatted at my arm. I pulled my arm back before she could hurt herself; my skin was so horridly hard and cold. "It's you, silly."

"Oh." I couldn't help smiling. I was flattered that she would paint me.

"Hmph." She curved around in her chair and faced Esme.

Esme grinned as she said, "Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"No, they didn't. That someone is just mad at Edward 'cause he didn't like my painting."

I frowned. "I never said that. I thought it was cute." I said earnestly.

"You did?" She turned back to me, a smile starting to form. I nodded. She squealed and threw her tiny arms around me. "Thank you, Edward!" I squeezed her gently, trying to be careful because she was so fragile and small. I had never really liked hugging _anyone_ before, but it seemed acceptable with her. I guessed I just really liked my new sister.

I pulled back as I queried, "Story?" I arched a brow.

"Yay!" was her response. I smiled and shook my head as she dashed out of the room.

"She so full of energy. Of life." I said quietly in amazement. I heard her running up the steps towards our room.

"Yes, she is quite bouncy." Esme replied fondly, love saturating her voice.

When I got in our room, Bella was already sitting on the couch, waiting for me.

"What story do you want to hear?" I asked her, then plopped down next to her.

"Hmm…" she said, her face scrunching adorably. "How about we make up our own story?" Her face lit up with the idea.

"Okay." I didn't really know what she wanted this story to be about so I said, "Once upon a time…"

She rolled her eyes. Apparently, she wasn't amused by the way I started it. "Once upon a time… there was… a girl named Bella." As she smiled, her little dimples showed. "She…"

"She…" I started, repeating what she said, "met the Cullens. Bella thought they were…"

"Nice." She said immediately. "But one day, um…" She glanced at me for help.

"But one day, she found out she was in danger." I said sadly.

"Then Edward saved her." She said with a big grin on her face. Then she hugged me suddenly. I hoped she didn't hurt herself from hugging me as I hugged her back. My skin was so disgustingly hard and cold. "You're my hero, Edward." I smiled happily, no longer sad. I heard a bunch of "Aww!'s" from downstairs. If I could have blushed, I think I would have. I even felt a little warmer, but then again, Bella was _so_ warm…

I pulled back first. When I looked at her again, I felt like she was going to be a great friend in the next years to come.

**Please read this!:**

**Okay, okay. I just wanted to say, I kept on changing this chapter. I feel like it's kinda (really) bad. So, I'll just go hide in a corner now until I update next.**

**By the way, I really would appreciate a few reviews. It inspires me to write faster, knowing people take the time to review (whether it's good news or bad news in the review).**

**Alright, alright. 5 reviews is what I'm going to hope for. Even though as of right now 43 people have favorited this story and 37 people have alerted it.**

**Please don't give up on me as a writer, people! :) *hopeful look* I promise I will give you a really good chapter next time!**


	5. Important AN: Sorry

**For personal reasons, I will not be continuing this story on this account.**

**~Candycane**

**PS- This story will be deleted in about two days on this account. I sincerely apologize.**


	6. Important AN: Continuation

**After some serious thought, I've decided to continue this story (but probably not for a little while).**

**I'll be doing it on a different account.**

**PM me if you are interested so I can give you the name.**

**~Candycane, aka Emily**


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